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Jack Mercreek (Cataclysmic Gerosha)
|intel2= |intel3= |strength1= |strength2= |speed1= |speed2= |endure1= |endure2= |endure3= |agility1= |agility2= |agility3= |projection1= |fighting1= |fighting2= }} }} Jack Mercreek / Jackrabbit is a hero in the Gerosha Chronicles series Sodality, a part of the Cataclysmic Gerosha universe of Dozerfleet Comics. He was originally set to appear in Ciem: Vigilante Centipede, as a rival romantic interest competing with Donte McArthur for Candi's affections. He was also going to be portrayed as an understudy of Imaki Izuki. He belongs to a class of Phexo known as "Leapers," meaning he has the ability to jump incredible lengths. He has few other abilities aside from that. In Sodality, he is a founding member of the Sodality of Gerosha, and defends the nation of Toklisana from the Hebbleskin Gang. His teammates consist of Laurie Pegol, Candi "Ciem" Levens, Dolly "the Earwig" Maletrom, Donte "Emeraldon" McArthur, and Jeral "Botan the Plant-Man" Cormier. He is the boyfriend of Miranda Kanla, who arrives at the University of Houston with him after originally living in an Apache reservation. He also has a role in Sodality: Battle for Metheel, where he attempts to establish contact with Sodality of Gerosha HQ after discovering King Morzhuk's true intentions. With SCALLOP communications also compromised, he sets out on a daring adventure to relay his message. Powers and weaknesses Being a Leaper, Jack's abilities are limited to primarily those which enable him to jump really high and land without injury. The elasticity of his legs also allows him to generate a "bounce" when needed. His agility and love of stealth give him cat burglar-like maneuverability. Only in situations where he feels it absolutely necessary does he bother with wearing sunglasses and a hat with a jacket to obscure his identity. He is otherwise completely comfortable with being seen in his civilian form, deciding that it is useless to hide the fact that he is the Jackrabbit. His ability makes roof-hopping a lot easier than it would be for other members of the Sodality, as even Ciem has trouble jumping as high or being able to jump as far as he does without the need for a Zeran teleporter. He carries a Zeran wardrobe so he can switch out clothes if needed. Like all Phexos, he is vulnerable to the drug known as Bezeetol. He can also be distracted by the sight of beautiful women, as he struggles to keep his sexual appetite under control. Jack may be very agile and clever, but he is not bulletproof. He often relies on other teammates to disable the armed villains first, before he goes in for his moves. He has few offensive maneuvers, preferring to serve as trickery and distraction. He can heal at a somewhat advanced rate, but he is not able to heal as fast as Ciem. Jack calculates his moves carefully, aware of his own vulnerability. He is also immune to most diseases, though not to the same extent as Candi. He is a master of seduction, and can charm others into giving him what he wants quite often. Due to his experiences growing up in Apacheland, he has some awareness of animals and some talent in being able to interpret their desires. Character bio Early life Jack was born to a family on an Apache reservation, often growing up using his Phexo abilities to cause mischief around town before the Phaelites arrived with an older Leaper named Harry Windel. Harry gave Jack a sense of purpose in life, and told him what he was given his abilities for. The two of them went on a tour of the country, occasionally foiling heists with their abilities. However, a botched assignment led to Harry being killed. Jack returned to the reservation. He had a tendency to be playful, but was not as playful as before he met Harry. Some worried he'd go his whole life never growing a sense of responsibility. His antics mellowed a little when he got to high school, until he discovered that the gals at his school were very eager to take chances with him. Similarly to Marina Baret, he found himself eventually drowning in meaningless trysts and one-hour hookups. He reached a depression by his senior year; when he was able to get almost any girl to sleep with him - but not to love him. His luck changed the day Miranda Kanla from his tribe, a girl he hardly knew lived so close by, discovered him. He eventually seduced her too; but she didn't simply leave like the others. Instead, she developed a strong interest in Jack. She revealed that she was a part of the Wilbur Brocklyn "sodality" movement, and that he would be a perfect candidate for it. Founding the Sodality Jack and Miranda arrived at the University of Houston, near where Wilbur set up his mission church for Phexos and their families. Miranda counsels Jack frequently, as his facade of being carefree melts away - revealing that he is actually a very insecure being who feels guilty about what happened to his mentor. Miranda gets some close, trustworthy friends together with Jack and agrees that they should take Wilbur's "sodality" idea to the next step. They'd form a secret society to detect and sabotage Hebbleskin Gang-related activity. The United States then disintegrates into four countries. The Ameristani regime, now run by the "president" Affadidah, aggressively campaigns for a jihad against the newly-formed nations of Toklisana and Chimerica. It forms a pact, however, with the Hebbleskin-run Netheel. An influx of Toklisanans betrayed and trapped behind Ameristani lines begin making their way to Toklisana to reclaim their freedom, with a war ready to happen at any time. The number of Phexos that manage to escape proves alarming to Duke Arfaas, who sends his top goons to do something about it. While Gunner and Skellig Soorfelt terrorize southern Indiana in search of targets, Don the Psycho is sent to the Houston area to inspect what spies believe to be a resistance movement forming. Don invites Wayne the Vampire to join him, as they go about raping and murdering college students for fun. Don's careful strategy results in him getting one of Miranda's friends to betray the fact that she's running a radio network from her dorm room. The friend is promptly killed before he can warn Miranda. Jack arrives to try to save Miranda, but is overpowered when he doesn't expect what the enhance Meethex Don can do. Don claims that Miranda will be kept prisoner until "the plan" unfolds, wherein which Jack will have the luxury of watching her die. Jack manages to escape the goons that come after him, but is unable to save Miranda. He vows from that point on to both rescue Miranda and bring Don to justice. He is able to make contact with a man that Wilbur set him up with named Imaki Izuki, who promises him that new help is on the way. Jack and his few remaining friends set up shop in a different residence hall, vowing to add the Gerosha Phexos to their league once they are able. Jack decides that the team he will help found will represent the values of the fallen city of Gerosha, in defiance of all the Hebbleskin Gang stands for. Thus, his league would be called the "Sodality" of Gerosha. Career as Jackrabbit battle for the fate of Houston against an army of True Centhuens. Original quality here. 3D views: • ]] As the body count begins piling up throughout the first season of Sodality, Jack finds himself in a never-ending game of cat-and-mouse with Don and Wayne. His luck changes slightly, however, when he runs into Ciem also charging in to attack Don when Don terrorizes a local bar. The two have their arguments at first, but soon realize that they are on the same team and share very similar goals. A sort of attraction develops between the two, as they see a small part of their significant others in each other. Jack agrees to work with Candi and Dolly, as the Hebbleskin Gang begins sending more and more-dangerous villains his way. The Sodality begins to form as a team. The developing team dynamic results in them eventually defeating Wayne the Vampire, and in getting Laurie Pegol to become part of their radio support team. Jack and his new teammates soon become a sort of family, to replace the families they either lost or else left behind. His one greatest regret was that during a mission gone wrong in which he and Candi both believed their significant others to be dead, he played on her pain and tried to convince her to go a little too far with him in receiving comfort. She only let him get so far, before telling him that she was unwilling to admit that Donte was dead. The team eventually gains Botan the Plant-Man as a team member, and the need to defeat Milp after the murder of Darius Philippine results in Dolly becoming the Earwig. Defeating Milp, however, requires the extra assistance of Kyle "the Meerkat" Freneti and Charlotte "Mukade" Yamamura. Jack especially begins to look up to Kyle as a new role model. He eventually gets to rescue Miranda while Dolly frees Emeraldon (and by accident, the Sapphire King) from Duke Arfaas' doomsday ship. Ciem frees Jeraime Malestrom from the Musaran suit and AI backvisor, allowing him to regain control from his homicidal maniac alter-ego. At this point, Jack does not back away from Sodality membership; nor does he go solo. He realizes that he is no longer the most powerful team member, but decides to keep the Sodality close since he was its first true Phexo member. He does allow teammates Emeraldon and Ciem to go into semi-retirement so they can get married. But before the Sodality can go into hiding, it ends up facing the threat of Captain Aardwulf. They get assistance defeating him from Black Rat and Stung Hornet of the Chinese MSS, who also team up with Steve McLaine and Candi's sister Miriam "Sniperbadger" Flippo. No sooner is that threat eliminated than they have to deal with Judge Terry Beliah. Laurie Pegol quits the team, and Miranda takes over Laurie's duties. Even worse for team morale, including Jack's, is when Celia defects to the Sapphire King's side. The quest to save Phexos and Marlquaanites from Beliah's schemes yields fruit in the form of several much-more-powerful new members to the Sodality: Pilltar, Strawberry, Navyrope, the Gray Champion, Mapacha, and Extirpon. Jack ultimately stays behind when other Sodality members go their separate ways, becoming a sort of command central figure along with Miranda, Hea Pang and Lex Philippine. Even when the others feel content to resume solo careers; Jack and his three central command friends will be ready to call everyone back, should the world need the Sodality of Gerosha again. He does periodically visit his old home on the Apache reservation, however. ''Battle for Metheel'' Main article: Sodality: Battle for Metheel In Sodality: Battle for Metheel, he becomes an essential figure in reuniting to Sodality to deal with King Morzhuk's plans to capture them all, a plan to make them trophies in the halls of the Zeran Palace as part of a greater scheme to rule the universe. Jack is the first to get a confession of the Meethlites' true motives behind the raids on Toklisana: namely, to capture the Legends and keep the Elites distracted. Jack later joins his teammates on Metheel to oversee Morzhuk's overthrow. He and the others soon return to their homes after the battle ends, assured that they helped bring an end to the Phaelon-Metheel War. Honorary SCALLOP agent Some time after the events in Battle for Metheel, Jack is made an honorary SCALLOP agent so that he can serve more effectively as a liaison between Sodality members and the organization. This is decided as necessary by Lex Philippine after Candi and Donte make clear they do not intent to return to being full-time members of the Founding/Houston Elite. It becomes Jack's job to oversee the committee at SCALLOP in charge of monitoring the Sodality specifically, as well as updating records on its membership and modalities comprising it. He is given two different suits: one for operating as leader of the Sodality and one for operating as a SCALLOP agent. Both are viewed as a considerable upgrade from the tank top, shorts, and sandals that had been his "uniform" all throughout his initial hero career - especially since they allow him more protection from bullets so he can take more risks in combat. It is during this time that he and Miranda move to Houston permanently. They get married a short time after the move, with Wilbur both pressuring them to do so and conducting the ceremony for them. Lex ensures that Jack will always have a base to operate the Sodality from - as well as his SCALLOP functions. This arrangement works until Jack retires in 2043. When not busy working for SCALLOP or the Sodality, he found part time work as a sports announcer. Personality Jack deep down is often very hurt, longing to feel that his existence is justified. He feels guilty for not being able to save his mentor Harry from making a poor decision that led to death. When out for revenge, he can be defensive and angry. However, he tries in social settings to mask his pain by feigning a persona of a man who doesn't care much about anything or anyone. Miranda sees through him, and is able to convince him to let down his guard around her. He can be serious business when duty calls, but he likes to put on a charade that he is a foolish and irresponsible goofball. He tends to dress in sloppy clothing. He also has a strong appetite for nightlife and women, an appetite only his love and sense of duty to Miranda seem able to curb. Before meeting her, he was described by many as a "natural flirt." He managed at one point or another to bed 32 different girls before meeting Miranda. He credits her with turning his life around. He finds himself strongly attracted to Candi, but she steers him back to Miranda when she decides she isn't willing to leave Donte for him. However, his past womanizing has earned him a bit of a reputation amongst his peers back at the tribe. The exact number of women he's been with is often exaggerated, to say that he'd been with hundreds. He is also willing to work hard on a mission for his friends, but feigns a slacker persona in most other areas of life. Development Jack's appearance and persona were inspired by a variety of sources, ranging from Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite to Fez from That '70s Show to Taylor Lautner's role as the long-haired version of Jacob Black in Twilight. In some ways, Jack was intended to be the anti-Jacob. His initial role was in Ciem: Vigilante Centipede as an understudy of Imaki Izuki and best friend to Candi growing up. Instead of wanting her for himself from almost the beginning in a truly romantic way, Jack was fine most of the time with being friends with Candi. He eventually developed a crush on her, but it was based more on lust than romantic love. Also, rather than be cryptic about his motives like Jacob, Jack was always very open with Candi about what he intended to do with her. He does manage in Comprehensive Gerosha to seduce Candi, but she decides she wants Donte back when she learns she has the opportunity. Unlike Jacob, who protests Bella's decision to do so, Jack is all in favor of Candi returning to Donte. Candi helps Jack find a girlfriend to settle down with, pitying Jack as an irresponsible man. The reimagining of Jack's personality and relationships with others for Sodality sought to acknowledge some of Jack's character flaws, while downplaying others. His relationship dynamic with Candi is made less aggressive and overtly sexual, opting instead for the two to see each other as "plan B" if they cannot rescue their significant others while remaining essentially chaste. He is shown to be using his outward appearance of a reckless player as a mask to hide his real feelings, whereas the Comprehensive Gerosha version was a genuinely irresponsible, skirt-chasing predator. Jack is one of the first times that an Amerindian was intentionally made in The Sims 3 for purposes of concept art for The Gerosha Chronicles, his first draft being drawn in 2011. In 2012, Mapacha would become the second Amerindian character to be given such a treatment, followed by Kicked Deer in 2013. His inclusion in Comprehensive Gerosha allowed that version of Imaki to be given a slightly different origin story from all other incarnations, including some Apache in his heritage rather than being purely Japanese. Overall, the Cataclysmic Gerosha version of Jack was intended to show a character who begins as immature and immoral, but develops into a respectable and proper hero - and eventual leader - over time. This version is also the first time that he is seen working on a genuine team as part of a team dynamic towards a worthwhile goal. This is as opposed to his Vigilante Centipede counterpart, who outside of merely protecting his hometown, essentially does nothing but waste his life. Team responsibilities mean a few changes for Jack. He begins dressing properly for the role over time, even though he was fine dressing sloppy when he mostly worked alone. He also occasionally takes measures to hide his identity. However, he never officially dons anything that could be deemed a "costume" in the same sense as Candi's Ciem outfit. Reception Public attitudes about the character as of September 3rd of 2012 have been fairly positive. In one Facebook poll, it was suggested that actor Avan Jogia would make a good candidate to play Jackrabbit. This was based on Avan's appearance for his role in the ABC Family series Twisted. See also * Jack's SDCPM file * Ciem (Earth-G6 • Earth-G7) * Imaki Izuki * The Earwig * Meerkat * ''Ciem'' (webcomic) * ''Sodality'' (series) * Sodality: Battle for Metheel External links * Scrapped Gerosha ideas gallery at DeviantArt * [http://bulldozerivan.deviantart.com/gallery/48943144 Sodality 2D concept art collection] at DeviantArt ** Red-Cyan 3D concept art collection ** Green-Magenta 3D concept art collection * [http://bulldozerivan.deviantart.com/gallery/48977975 Battle for Metheel art gallery] at DeviantArt Category: Ciem: Vigilante Centipede characters Category: Sodality Elite Category: Dozerfleet superheroes Category: Sodality: Battle for Metheel characters Category: Team Caged Dove Category:Characters Category:Incarcerated heroes